Just a couple of tens of kilometers from Lisbon is one of the most beautiful Portuguese cities - Sintra. It was built in the XII century at the foot of the Sierra da Sintra - low but picturesque mountains. Reminiscent of a green paradise nestled on the slopes of a hill, the city was the summer residence for the Portuguese monarchs. Sintra is an incredibly romantic city in which every house can rightfully be called a work of art, not to mention its attractions.
Despite the fact that the construction of the city began in the XII century, its history goes back to the VIII-IX centuries, when the Moors built a fortress here. But later, Alfonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, took the fortress away from the Moors, and ordered to build a church within its walls, which became a place of pilgrimage. Later, a monastery was built here, and then houses, palaces and other buildings, thanks to which the city began to grow.
Sintra is rich in sights. One of them is Pena - National Royal Palace. Rebuilt in XV-XVI from the palace of the Moors, it stands proudly on a high hill and is one of the wonders of Portugal.
Not far from Sintra is the Quinta da Regaleira palace and park complex, built in the neo-Gothic style. In the park you can see an unusual and romantic palace, lakes, caves, tunnels, fountains, grottoes, wells, fountains and a chapel. The architecture of the park was influenced by the Italian artist and architect Luigi Manini, invited by the millionaire Carvalho Monteiro, the first owner of the castle.
An interesting monument is the 8th century fortress Morush. It was built by the Moors and is a squat structure of red sandstone. The fortress is located above sea level at an altitude of 412 meters and offers breathtaking views of the city and its surroundings. The fortress is partially destroyed, but the remaining buildings can be used to assess its former grandeur.
The National Palace of Sintra, surrounded by a park with exotic plants, also attracts both Portuguese and visitors to the country. Once on the site of the palace there was a Muslim village, and in the 15th century the construction of the royal palace began, the architecture of which combines several styles - Moorish, Manueline and Gothic. You can recognize the palace by the two chimneys towering over it.
You can get acquainted with how the Capuchins once lived in the Capuchin Monastery, founded in 1560. The monastery is designed in a strict style, its cells are dark and cold, which is typical for the knights of the Franciscan order that built this monastery.
If you go to Sintra with children, you can visit the Toy Museum, although it will be interesting for many adults as well. The exposition of the museum was collected by João Moreira and has more than 20,000 exhibits. There are modern toys and toys with a history of about 3000 years.
Holidays in Sintra can be combined with a visit to the Cape of Cabo da Roca, which is the westernmost point in Europe. A lighthouse rises above the cape, where you can see the words of one of the Portuguese poets, Luis de Camões, saying that the land ends here and the sea begins.
